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J Child Fam Stud (2011) 20:2337 DOI 10.1007/s10826-010-9374-7
ORIGINAL PAPER
The Family Alliance Assessment Scales: Steps Toward Validity and Reliability of an Observational Assessment Tool for Early Family Interactions
Nicolas Favez Chlo Lavanchy Scaiola
Herv Tissot Jolle Darwiche France Frascarolo
Published online: 13 April 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract We present the rst steps in the validation of an observational tool for father-mother-infant interactions: the FAAS (Family Alliance Assessment Scales). Family-level variables are acknowledged as unique contributors to the understanding of the socio-affective development of the child, yet producing reliable assessments of family-level interactions poses a methodological challenge. There is, therefore, a clear need for a validated and clinically relevant tool. This validation study has been carried out on three samples: one non-referred sample, of families taking part in a study on the transition to parenthood (normative sample; n = 30), one referred for medically assisted procreation (infertility sample; n = 30) and one referred for a psychiatric condition in one parent (clinical sample; n = 15). Results show that the FAAS scales have (1) good inter-rater reliability and (2) good validity, as assessed through known-group validity by comparing the three samples and through concurrent validity by checking family interactions against parents self-reported marital satisfaction.
Keywords Family interactions Infancy Assessment
Observation Validity
Introduction
Family is a primary socialization agent for children. Empirical and clinical evidence has shown that interactions within the family are predictive of several outcomes in children. Healthy development is most likely to occur in the context of high levels of warmth and acceptance and consistent behavioral control in parentchild interactions; conversely, conictual or disorganized interactive practices in the family, with predominantly negative affect and harsh and distant parenting, are predictive of maladaptive or even psychopathological socio-emotional development (Cummings et al. 2000; Fauber and Long 1991; McHale 2007). Family-level assessment is thus essential to a comprehensive evaluation of the childs social context. Several procedures and instruments have been designed to this end, but these are intended mainly for families with school-aged children (or older), as they rely to a large extent on analysis of verbal exchanges (see Sperry 2004). An instrument designed specically for infancy has been noticeably lacking. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to present an observational instrument...